Reddit mentions of Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America

Here's my current list of contenders. There'll never be another Austin, but I've made plenty of reconnaissance trips, and in my opinion, these towns capture at least some of the old Austin vibe in their own respective ways. (For me, "old" Austin means from around 1979 through around 1996 or so. Your milage may vary.) There are certainly other worthy towns out there, but these are the ones I have visited enough times to get a pretty good feel for them:

Tulsa, OK
Bend, OR
Chattanooga, TN
Bellingham, WA
Santa Fe, NM
Bloomington, IN
Alpine, TX
Missoula, MT
Duluth, MN
Sioux Falls, SD
Cedar Rapids, IA
San Angelo, TX
Omaha, NE


Also highly recommend reading this wonderful & optimistic book: Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America by James and Deborah Fallows. (Endorsed by Tom Hanks!)

Jeff Speck’s “Walkable City: How Downtown can Save America, One Step at a Time”” is a personal favorite. He quotes his work in Lowell, MA throughout the book.

I’ve also been recommended to read Cheryl Heller’s “The Intergalactic Design Guide: Harnessing the Creative Potential of Social Design” and while I haven’t yet had the chance to pick it up, I think it might be up the alley of what you’re looking for.

I’m halfway through James and Deborah Fallows’ “Our Towns: A 100,000 Mile Journey into the Heart of America” which is also excellent, and provides a great set of case studies in urban revitalization.

My own masters practica (in Emergency management) is on creating greater access to healthcare via some urban planning interventions in a similar New England city, if not the same one.

I’m local to Boston, and would be happy to loan you the first and last books, should you be interested.

Cheers!